andrew, Author at Summer Springboard

College Deferrals in a Nutshell

andrew — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 19:48:30 +0000

College admissions season is well under way. By now, hopeful seniors are waiting to hear back from colleges they applied to early action or early decision. These tense times will soon be greeted by the joyous celebrations that come with acceptance or the disappointment of being rejected. But there is a third option, one that leaves room for confusion, mixed emotions and all around ambiguity: college deferrals. In this post we will discuss what a college deferral means, why deferrals occur, deferrals during COVID and what to do in the meantime.

College Deferrals In A Nutshell

Deferrals are by no means the end of the world. Rather, think of it as a second chance at being admitted to the college of your choice. Typically being deferred from early rounds can be an advantage. It gives you an opportunity to submit more recent grades, accomplishments, summer extracurriculars, and a chance to overall boost your application before the admissions committee looks at it one last time.

Why?

To a hopeful applicant that is essentially being put on hold, why is probably the burning question. While, yes some colleges may defer your application simply for a second look or because they think your application has potential to improve over the coming months, there are other reasons. At highly competitive schools for example, students are deferred more often than not. Yale typically defers half of their EA pool and Georgetown defers everyone that didn’t make the initial cut. While these are just some examples of reasons schools defer, this can change from school to school, and even year to year.

COVID Changes Everything:

While of course nobody knows how college admission decisions are going to work in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is fair to speculate that deferral rates are going to see a sharp increase this 2020-21 admission season. Given that deferrals are handed out to students to give them a second chance, I personally think that colleges are going to want to see how things work out in the spring. With all the uncertainty in the world, admission officers want to see their applicants in a traditional school setting before having to determine acceptance to the applicant’s school of choice. I think this will, as per usual, be more typical of highly competitive schools to defer more applicants from the early action round rather than denying them admission to their school right away. However, as is the motto of 2020, “Everything is subject to change.”

What To Do From Here?

Wait. While this might not be the advice an applicant wants, it is truly all one can do in the meantime. Try to make your application stronger if you can, but for now all you can do is wait because at this point the decision is out of your hands. Shift your focus to something else: a new hobby, family and friends, school events, sports, whatever will get your mind off of waiting in a healthy way. While you wait to hear about the final decision on your application all you can really do is trust that you turned in the best application possible.

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Quantitative Impact of Summer Camps for Teens

andrew — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 22:25:13 +0000

by Andrew Motiwalla

The ACA 5-Year Camp Impact Study explores if and how camp prepares youth participants for college, career, and their lives outside of camp. Under the direction of an all-volunteer Research Advisory Committee and in partnership with researchers at the University of Utah, the Youth Impact Study aims to document the distinct and transferable outcomes of camp.

We recently shared a blog post that provides evidence that social skills are learned at summer programs and may be transferred to academics and the workplace. We learned that young people gain a great deal when they attend camp, notably in the areas of social-emotional learning, but that was just Phase 1 of the study.

Phase 2 is built on what was learned in Phase 1 with a larger sample and more quantitative look at the lasting outcomes of camp.

The outcomes on both maps are represented by bubbles mapped out in a grip based on “Importance in Daily Life” (horizontal axis) and “The Role of Camp” (vertical axis). You can see that the strongest outcomes, those that are most important later in life and most distinct to camp, are all related to social-emotional learning.

Main Takeaways from Phase 2:

Relationship skills, appreciation for living in the moment, independence, responsibility, and appreciation for individual differences are among the things participants reported learning at camp that are most important in their lives today and learning outcomes that appear to be most unique to camp.

“The most memorable moment of my summer was definitely the ones shared with my peers. At first, I was skeptical and didn’t think I was going to make new friends easily. But, I can honestly say that Summer Springboard was the most inclusive community I have ever been a part of. There was no exclusion based on religion, gender, age or even language. Instead, there was bonding, teamwork, and a sense of happiness present among us all.” – Adilene K.

When compared to school, camp appears to uniquely promote an appreciation for living in the moment, an affinity for nature, and a willingness to try new things, among other outcomes.

“I came back feeling like a new person and truly felt like I was not completely spooked about the idea of college. I had felt comfortable living without my mother and being responsible about going to classes. I would recommend Summer Springboard to anyone who wants to gain knowledge about college and gain skills to help them for the rest of their lives.” – Adilene K.

Participants reported that the most powerful source of lasting learning was the people at camp — camp staff and their peers. Opportunities for active engagement and, at overnight camps, the separation from home were also identified as mechanisms for growth.

“The friends I made are people who I still talk to on a daily basis. The community at Summer Springboard was welcoming and the staff helped us feel comfortable from the beginning to the end. The bonding time and activities helped us create a better working environment when learning. These bonding experiences helped us develop our social skills in which we can apply for our future careers.” – Adilene K.

Summer Camp for Teens:

Many parents send their child to Summer Springboard to let them explore their academic passions before committing to a college major. However, the residential camp experience helps students have a successful transition to college on many more levels. As you can see in the testimonials above from Adilene, some former Summer Springboard students expressed that they can trace decisions about choice of college, identification of a major, and career choices back to their camp experience.

Interested in learning more?

Summer Springboard provides pre-college summer programs for teens at UC Berkeley, Yale, and Georgetown. The innovative 2-week summer programs for high school students combine self-discovery with hands-on learning and college preparation. Call 858-780-5660.

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Research on Impact of Summer Programs on College Readiness

andrew — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 00:00:22 +0000

– by Andrew Motiwalla

In today’s knowledge-based society, there is an increased demand for individuals who are prepared to succeed in academics and the workplace. This is an individual who is academically prepared in reading, writing, and mathematics knowledge AND possesses life skills (e.g. interpersonal skills and leadership) .

A LinkedIn survey highlights that employers regularly identify social competencies as the “most valuable yet hard-to-find” capabilities of workers. Widespread concern exists that young people lack these essential skills.

The idea that summer programs help individuals develop social skills is not new; but a study by researchers from University of Utah provides evidence that social skills are learned at summer programs and may be transferred to academics and the workplace.

This five year study investigated the learning outcomes from summer camp most applicable to academics and workplace readiness. The primary learning outcomes for youth include relationship skills, teamwork, how to live with peers, self-confidence, organization, responsibility, independence, perseverance, career orientation, and emotion regulation.

Table excerpted from “Examining the Role of Summer Camps in Developing Academic and Workplace Readiness”, Journal of Youth Development, Vol. 13, Issue 1-2

Teamwork and Collaboration:

Relationship skills was the most central theme interviewees found applicable to academic and workplace readiness. Almost half of participants thought the relationship skills learned at camp helped them reach out and make friends at school. Relationship skills were also beneficial for participants in their jobs; they felt it helped their ability to provide superior customer service at work.

“I liked the sense of community and inclusiveness. I also liked the way the classes were oriented to guide everyone towards success.” – Clarence C.

“I liked studying and making new friends. I also liked understanding how important teamwork is and that there will be problems whether you are working with known people or strangers.” Devansh P.

Self-Discovery and Confidence:

Participants indicated they learned more about their true selves at camp, which helped in academics and their jobs. In a sense, a summer program is an opportunity to learn and practice skills needed in the future. A successful summer program experience helps youth realize they have the confidence to go away to college, consider study abroad, talk strategically and effectively with their roommate, and engage in clubs and extracurricular activities. Students should leave a summer program with increased self-awareness so they can make decisions about college selection, academic majors, and careers that reflect their personal vision for success.

“This program has taught me a lot, but not only in the academic portion. I’ve benefited from the medical class, but I think my biggest takeaway is from the True You. I don’t usually think about myself, like who am I really or which occupation I am suitable for. From the True You, I was able to discover my strengths and weaknesses, and how to improve my EQ. I’ve become much more independent, and should always take the time to reflect on myself.” – Nicole S.

“My daughter had a super fantastic experience!! Returned with more confidence, good physical shape and very focused on her career decision.” – Gregory B.

Experiential Learning:

Opportunities for experiential learning or “learning by doing” was one of the most universal mechanisms for a variety of outcomes. With the right type of summer program, students won’t sit in a classroom all day. Rather it should be a unique blend of hands-on learning and real world insight. Students should participate in interactive experiences that expose them to career opportunities, academic passions, diverse arts, cultures, value systems and histories in ways that no textbook could convey. These experiences welcome high engagement, critical thinking and a willingness to see the world through many different perspectives.

“I really enjoyed when I got to work hands on like suturing and the simulation labs. I also appreciated being taught by real doctors from the ED who have traveled to foreign countries for humanitarian aid; it was very inspiring.” – Megan J.

“My daughter had a wonderful time. She really liked the hands on learning done in the medical program. She was really proud of her new skills. It was wonderful to see her shine from the inside.” – Laura K.

Separate Time and Space:

Study participants directly attributed learning to the separation between camp and parents, family, friends, and school. Summer programs involve removing the child from a familiar setting and placing him or her into a completely different physical place and social setting with intentional support designed to help the child navigate the disruption of the typical day-to-day experience and successfully integrate into the camp environment. Students realize that the fear and uncomfortable adjustments that many first-year university students experience were no big deal, because they went to “college” for the first time when they were in high school.

“I liked the strong sense of independence that the program offered. We were granted the ability to choose the majority of our activities and how we wanted to spend our free time.” – Ethan G.

“The experience provided my son with insight as to what college could be like. I think it also helped motivate him, so that when he is studying long hours this fall, he knows the reward will be better odds at getting into a good college. He really enjoyed the independence, and knowing that he could manage on “his own” so far from home.” – Justine A.

Counselors and Staff:

Counselors were powerful levers of youth development; they were caring and compassionate individuals, teachers and facilitators, and role models. They should be fun-loving, experienced, and passionate about student growth and development. All program staff go through a rigorous training program to ensure students not only learn, but do so in the safest way possible. All staff members, as the heart and soul of camp, were identified as near-peer role models whom campers looked up to and emulated.

“What I liked most was everyone’s dedication and heart. From classmates participating actively in class, to RAs guiding us along, to the instructors’ patience and passion in spreading their knowledge. Everyone was into the program with all their heart, which was what made this experience both educational and enjoyable.” – Oceana L.

“My daughter came home thrilled with her experience and continues to talk about what she learned. Additionally, the staff was excellent and my daughter raved about them during her time there and once she returned home.” – Mary M.

Communal Living and Diversity of People:

Communal living afforded campers the opportunity to live with people they had just met. This experience taught campers how to interact with peers, practice living with people other than their family, to be responsible for their daily living, and how to manage their emotions during disagreements with cabin mates. Campers can be diverse and vary across a multitude of factors such as values, beliefs, family structure, gender identity, interests, personality, hometown, socioeconomic status, and race. A broad array of individuals at camp helped participants learn how to interact with people different from themselves.

“This program allowed me to meet friends from all over the world. It gave me a new experience that I have never experienced before. It also gave me an insight on college life and changed my perspective on what I wanted to do in the future.” – Nicole C.

“I liked the experience of living and bonding with people from all around the world and gaining insight into different people’s backgrounds.” – Aditya B.

Safe and Supportive Environments:

Former campers believed camp had a safe and supportive culture that was maintained by peers, older campers, and counselors. Individuals’ communication, actions, and behaviors cultivated an intangible atmosphere of safety and security. The number one priority should be creating a safe and secure environment for students. Summer programs should have a robust safety system, based on a set of rigorous standards, which ensures that issues are addressed efficiently and safely, and that students, parents, and staff are in close communication. All staff members should have extensive experience working with teens and provide 24-hour guidance and support.

“I like the fact that I was allowed to be myself without judgment. Everyone was lovely and supportive, especially in regards to my academic track; that encouraged me to work hard and really allowed me to enjoy what I was doing. ” – AJ J.

“Our daughter had a great time at the program. It was her first time at a non-sports program and her first time away for that long of time. She was very apprehensive about going and even considered backing out. Now I think she would rank it as the highlight of her summer. She made great friends, got to know herself better, and I think her perspective on the world has changed.” – Juliana B.

Interested in learning more?

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Program Availability

andrew — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 00:16:37 +0000

Summer Springboard uses a rolling admissions process. Student applications are reviewed as they are submitted. Once a program fills, then we will add students to a wait list. Here is the current availability of our programs.

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College Applications Don’t Have To Be Tough

andrew — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 23:05:48 +0000

The dreaded college apps season is drawing nigh! Seniors all over the nation are scrambling to meet with their counselors before initiating the tedious, grueling process of applying to colleges. Applications are probably the last thing you want to do right now. But, it’s absolutely essential that you get them done as soon as possible. Follow these tips and tricks to make the whole process that much easier:

Stay Ahead of the Game

Get a head-start on your college applications as soon as you possibly can. That way, you give yourself more time to review each application thoroughly, which significantly reduces your chances of error and more time to make appropriate changes. If you’d like, you could also try getting it done part by part. Starting early gives you the benefit of spending time going through each portion of your apps in greater detail. This approach would also give you more chances to catch your mistakes early on in the process. And you eliminate the stressful feeling of being crunched on time. With all of this in mind, you’ll find your whole application process experience to be remarkably smoother than most of your peers.

PRO-TIP: When asking for a letter of recommendation, it’s considered thoughtful to ask whomever is writing the letter in advance! They most likely have a lot on their plate, as well. Ask as early as possible, but you want to try to give them at least a month or two to get it done. This way, you’re acknowledging their personal schedule and giving them enough time to write a rockin’ letter of recc!

Organization is Key

There’s a lot of work that goes into the whole college app process. You’ve got to manage pretty much everything you did in high school including your grades, essays, and SAT/ACT scores, just to name a few. Not to mention the numerous deadlines regarding varying requirements for all of the colleges you’re applying to. It can be undoubtedly overwhelming for any high school senior. With that being said, your biggest solution is organization. It is extremely important that you keep a record of every single detail, down to the dot. Keep track of the dates and what documents are required. It can be really easy to forget to send a few documents, sign something, or even an important deadline. Ultimately, just write everything down. It may seem like a grueling process at first, but you won’t be able to thank yourself enough in the future for taking the time to do so now.

Along with organization, you want to take things slowly. This is not a process that you should rush, otherwise unforgiving mistakes could be made. So, take things one step at a time. Maybe focus on sending out all your SAT scores, then work on your essays. Whichever element you choose to focus on first doesn’t really matter, just try to avoid bouncing around different components and you’ll be on the right track.

Help is Always Available

The procedure of applying to college can be overwhelming and confusing. If you find that you don’t know how to approach something, don’t be afraid to utilize your resources! You have more help than you need ready to assist you. One of the best sources of assistance is your school counselors. Every year they have students that come in asking the same questions as you. They are readily equipped to help you with any aspect of the application process. Another source would be your teachers. They might not be as well-equipped as your guidance counselors, but they can definitely provide valuable insight and point you in the right direction. Google is one of the best friends you can make in life. While some of your personalized questions may not be answered, your general questions should have been answered on college forums or discussion platforms. If all else fails, pick up your phone and call the admissions center! They should be able to help you with your specific or general questions. Just don’t be afraid to ask questions, because you don’t have to go through the college application process alone.

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Find A Mentor

andrew — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:53:06 +0000

What Is A Mentor?

A mentor is an experienced and trustworthy person, usually an older student or adult, that guides you towards meeting your highest potential. They do this by being available to answer any of your questions, being a role model, and providing knowledge that would benefit you in your journey to success. The ideal mentor roots for you and wholeheartedly wants to see you grow and succeed.

How Can I Find A Mentor?

Great question! Simply developing a support system with your most respected and trustworthy teachers, coaches, counselors, or older students can turn into a mentorship. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions, mentors love questions. You can even check if your school offers a mentorship program that connects you with peers or other trusted adults. If no one at school comes to mind, you don’t have to limit yourself to just that aspect. Mentors can be family members, youth leaders, and older friends!

Why Do I Need One?

Well, quite honestly, you don’t need a mentor. Plenty of students attain success on their own. The majority of students, however, would benefit significantly from mentorship. There is nothing wrong with gaining some insight and advice from an experienced source. There’s no comparison to the value of guidance and support system found in mentorship. So, overall, while you technically don’t need the guidance and support, the results of those who have mentors are remarkable. It is highly recommended that you at least try mentorship once before you decide that it isn’t for you (because it most likely is)!

How Can A Mentor Help Me?

Mentorship among high school students has been proven to increase student retention and graduation rates. When college applications come around, you’re already equipped with a few mentors that could write you impressive letters of recommendations. In addition, your chances for success become enhanced when you have someone who has been in your shoes and experiences helping you figure out the best course of actions for any obstacle. Also, you wouldn’t have to learn through trial and error since you’re being told from prior experiences what works and what doesn’t.

A good mentor wants to help you develop and play a significant role in your evolution throughout high school. If at any point along your journey you become lost and unsure, your mentor can point you in the right direction and bring you back on track.

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Efficiently Reach Your Goals

andrew — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 19:30:29 +0000

With the New Year right around the corner, it’s a time of preparing for the future and setting (SMART) goals or resolutions. Sometimes, however, teens may find that the difficulty doesn’t lie in setting the goals, but reaching them efficiently and productively. With these tips, you’ll find it significantly easier to meet your goals in a timely and practical manner.

Eliminate Negative Thoughts
First of all, understand that your number one enemy is yourself. When you’re in the process of reaching your goals, your self-doubt tends to become more vocal in your head. To reach your goals, you need to find a way to silence that voice and any negative thoughts you produce. Believe in yourself and be confident in your ability to hit your targets. If you find that your self-doubt overwhelms you and slows down your progress, it helps to remind yourself of your past success. Focus on the immediate progress you’ve made or even how far you’ve come to meeting your certain goal.

Set Aside Distractions
When pursuing a goal, it is important that you remove anything that will be an obstacle for you. If your goal is to raise your grade in Spanish, but you’re always on Snapchat when doing homework, you’ve got to put away your phone and get to work. Keep it away in another room until you’re done studying. Another potential distraction could be your peers. Sometimes, your peers may not agree with your goal. Remember that you set your goals for nobody else but yourself. It shouldn’t matter what anyone else thinks. If you need to take some time away from a friend that is bringing you down, instead of cheering you on, don’t be afraid to do so. A real friend should be apart of your support system, not a barrier to your success.

Create Sub-goals Along The Way
This is an extremely important trick to efficiently reach your goals. Let’s say your goal is to get your grade from a “C-” to a “B“ in English by the end of the semester. While it is a SMART goal, to maximize efficiency, you should set a series of short, sub-goals to reach the ultimate one. Maybe your sub-goals could be to study each lesson the night before so you are exposed to the course material. That way, you can ask your teachers to elaborate on a particular part of the lesson that you didn’t understand. Another subgoal could simply consist of doing what it takes to ace your English quiz. Overall, a sub-goal is just a short-term goal that helps you meet your long-term goal.

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Balance Your High School Life

andrew — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 19:45:42 +0000

Keeping up the high school life is not a simple task. In fact, it’s anything but that. You have the basic family, friends, and academic aspects. Just those on an individual’s plate can already be a challenge. But some manage to throw extracurriculars like sports or after school clubs into the juggling act. Then, we have students that do all of the above with a part time job. If you find yourself in the latter situation, you’re an absolute powerhouse. Anyway, no matter your situation, here are some ways that make balancing your high school life significantly easier.

Plan Effectively

Alright, powerhouse. There’s 24 hours in a day and you get about 5-6 hours of sleep (there’s no way you’re getting the recommended 8). That leaves about 18 hours wake time. Within those hours you have school, work, extracurricular, social time, and study time. With your busy schedule, you’re forced to have a solid time management plan that will help you survive each day. In order to manage your time effectively, you’ve got to be honest with yourself. Be able to realistically comprehend what you can handle with your time. Maybe you can’t work everyday, so you spread out your work days. Hanging out with friends on a school night is probably going to have to wait.

Use Your Free-Time Wisely

Because you’re as busy as you are, down time is a rare commodity to come by. This makes your free time extremely valuable. You have a couple of options of how you can spend this time, but use them wisely. First and foremost, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking some time to yourself. On a busy schedule, you’re probably longing for some leisure time. Another option is to invest your time into another aspect. Here’s an example: You have a couple hours of free-time available. You decide to use that time to get your homework done ahead of time. This, in turn, gives you more time to yourself in the future.

It’s also possible to find small bits of free-time from some of the aspects of your daily life. Maybe you have 15 minutes of down time to study for your test while on the bus or car ride home from school. Or your boss allows you to crack open a book and get some reading done when there aren’t any customers in the store. These small amounts of free-time can add up to an extra hour or two each day.

Prioritization

Be prepared to make sacrifices in some aspects, but also understand your priorities. School and study time should be at the forefront of your high school career. The rest is really up to you. Ultimately, if you feel like you’re spreading yourself thin, you should back off of an aspect or two to keep you in line.

You also want to make sure that you’re juggling aspects that will help you reach your goals, both personally and towards your future. Obviously, school will help you in both goals, but maybe hanging out with your friends all the time is pulling you off track. Maybe minimize your social activities until your priorities have been worked on. That’s not to say you shouldn’t hang out with friends, but maybe create a system where you have all your homework done before you do anything else. Realizing what’s most important makes juggling your life that much simpler.

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How to Ease College Application Anxiety

andrew — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 19:12:16 +0000

This time of year is very stressful for college-bound high school students. The anticipation of getting accepted into your dream college can make you feel quite a bit uneasy. Don’t worry though, your days of anxiety and stress in regard to your college applications are finally over! We’ve got you covered with some simple, yet effective tips that’ll make you feel much better.

It’s Done!

It may feel a bit uncomforting, but you’ve got to come to the conclusion that your applications are not in your hands anymore. All of your hard work is now on its way to colleges and universities around the nation. Be confident in your work and what you’ve accomplished! In the unfortunate case that you’re not accepted in your dream school, understand that it isn’t the end of the world!

If you get rejected, know that it doesn’t define who you are or your intelligence. Just because you don’t get accepted to a certain school doesn’t mean you aren’t capable. So don’t let rejection affect you that much and focus on the schools that do accept you. Choosing between universities is a whole other story, especially if they’re both reputable and prestigious schools. Being torn between colleges is another problem that should be addressed, but a good problem nonetheless. Ultimately, sending your college application should be weight off your shoulders because what’s done is done and it’s no longer hovering over your head.

Don’t Forget About School!

With your college apps out of the way, that’s one less distraction preventing you from doing well in school. While the majority of your high school career has been sent away to be examined, the remaining semester is just as important. It’s possible to get your future acceptance letter revoked if you don’t meet the required GPA by the end of your senior year. Don’t let that be you. While your senior year should be filled with fun events and outings, such as prom, academics should always be a priority. Instead of worrying about something you no longer have control over, put all your effort into making sure your grades don’t slip!

Keep Up With Remaining Deadlines!

Congrats, you just finished the majority portion of the college process! With that being said, there are still a few more steps before you’re absolutely finished. First and foremost, financial aid. FAFSA applications can be just as tricky as the college apps themselves so make sure you go through it carefully and complete it on time. Otherwise, you’re going to be paying full price for tuition. Who honestly want to do that?

The second deadline, if your preferred college allows a later date, would be your SATs! The more course material you know, the better you should do on your SAT/ACT exams. Therefore, it is encouraged to take it as late as possible, but still within the window of deadline so that you can maximize your knowledge for the test and get the best score possible.

The third deadline(s) you have to consider are any prerequisite placement tests required to determine the level of a certain subject you are allowed to take. For example, to prove your proficiency in Calculus, you might have to pass the Pre-Calculus placement test. All-in-all, do your research and talk to your counselors to develop a plan that knocks out those deadlines!

The bottom line is you’ve put a ton of work over your high school years into creating an impressive college application, it’s okay to give your mind a break! Keep in mind that rejection doesn’t mean the end of the world, keep your grades up for one more semester, and don’t miss out on any remaining deadlines. Following these essential steps will not only ease your college app anxiety, but ensure that you don’t have your future acceptance letters revoked.

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Scholarships vs. Grants

andrew — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 09:49:27 +0000

Nowadays, there’s no question that college is becoming more and more expensive each year. This makes it tougher every year for students to get into their dream college, not because of their grades or college applications, but because they simply cannot afford it. While students have the option of FAFSA, which helps quite a bit, it usually isn’t enough to cover all of the expenses. What other form of aid can students turn to? You’ve guessed it, grants and scholarships!

What is a Scholarship?

Scholarships are a form of gift aid, financial aid that does not need to be paid back. They are awarded to students who have met a particular set of requirements or achievements. Students who have excellent athletic capacity can be given a scholarship to a college and join their sports team. Similarly, some students who excel in academics are also awarded scholarships to prestigious schools around the nation. This aid, however, does come with certain requirements that you must follow in order to continue receiving aid, such as keeping your GPA above a certain point.

What is a Grant?

A grant, on the other hand, is not based on your academic or athletic abilities. Instead, you’re awarded this gift aid based on your financial situation. Grants are generally geared towards undergraduate students. In some cases, they are also given based on a student’s cost of attendance or enrollment status.

Where Does Gift Aid Come From?

Scholarships and grants typically come from three sources: the government, colleges, and private organization. The largest source of grants comes from the federal government, while state governments award gift aid for students who live and go to school in their state. Colleges tend to be quite a bit strict with their requirements regarding scholarships awarded to academically or athletically inclined students. With that said, colleges award gift aid on a needs basis, as well. Private organizations, such as a labor union or religious institution award scholarships. These scholarships are known as private or outside scholarships.

How Can I Apply For Gift Aid?

Making sure you have your FAFSA application completed is one way students can receive some gift aid from the government. In regards to college gift aid, your FAFSA application should suffice to get you gift aid, but there are some gift aids that have their own form that need to be filled out. Some clubs on college campuses have grant applications that you can look into, too. As for outside or private scholarships, those require their own application process. You should speak to a school counselor to help find outside scholarships that fit your needs and how to approach the application process for each gift aid.

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